NASA's Perseverance rover has detected a visible green aurora at Mars, a first for the red planet. Triggered by a solar storm in March 2024, the aurora offers a potential spectacle for future astronauts. Scientists believe this discovery enables forecasting of auroras on Mars, aiding in space weather studies and enhancing the prospect of human-visible displays.
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Harvard University is allocating $250 million to offset losses from the Trump administration's funding freeze, which has cost the institution over $2.6 billion in grants. President Garber, taking a pay cut, decried the cuts as a threat to academic freedom. Other universities like Johns Hopkins and Columbia are also grappling with similar funding disruptions, prompting layoffs and internal grants.
Lyle and Erik Menendez, convicted in 1996 for the 1989 shotgun murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty, are now eligible for parole. The brothers, initially sentenced to life without parole, were resentenced due to new evidence of alleged abuse and evolving laws regarding youth offenders. Their case, recently revisited in popular media, raises questions about trauma, justice, and redemption.
Ukraine's air force reported the loss of another F-16 fighter jet during a mission to counter a Russian attack. The pilot ejected safely after reportedly destroying three air targets. This marks at least the second confirmed loss of the Western-supplied aircraft for Ukraine, which relies on F-16s to defend against Russian missiles and warplanes.
A British investigation revealed that tech magnate Mike Lynch's superyacht, Bayesian, capsized off Sicily due to extreme winds exceeding 80 mph. The vessel, carrying Lynch and his daughter, along with others, was vulnerable to such winds, a fact unknown to the crew. The incident, which claimed seven lives, occurred while the yacht was sheltering from a storm.
Former President Joe Biden, 82, is undergoing medical evaluation after a small nodule was discovered in his prostate during a routine physical exam. This follows previous health concerns, including the removal of a basal cell carcinoma lesion from his chest in 2023.
In New Mexico, a tense standoff involving two young boys, aged 7 and 9, armed with a loaded handgun was safely resolved by the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Drone footage revealed deputies negotiating with the children, who were passing the weapon back and forth. Sheriff John Allen credited the drone for providing crucial aerial perspective.
Iran has sentenced three individuals to death and imprisoned others for their involvement in deadly attacks on the Shah Cheragh shrine in Shiraz. The verdicts relate to shootings in October 2022 and August 2023, claimed by the Islamic State group, which resulted in 15 fatalities. Other sentences included prison terms for alleged IS members and women, with some verdicts appealed to the Supreme Court.
Pope Leo XIV began his papacy. He stressed the importance of traditional family values. He defined it as a union between a man and a woman. Leo emphasized the dignity of all people. This includes the unborn and the elderly. He advocated for peace through diplomacy and interfaith dialogue. He highlighted the need to avoid harmful words.
The Justice Department is considering dropping the criminal case against Boeing for allegedly misleading regulators about the 737 Max, despite strong opposition from crash victims' families. Boeing faces charges related to the two fatal crashes that killed 346 people. A potential pretrial resolution involves dismissing the fraud charge, but families are pushing for a public trial and stronger penalties.
Ben Roberts-Smith, a highly decorated former SAS commando, has lost his appeal against court findings that implicated him in war crimes in Afghanistan. This setback follows a previous defamation case loss in 2023, where newspapers successfully defended claims that he murdered unarmed Afghan prisoners. The court upheld findings that Roberts-Smith was involved in the unlawful killings, further damaging his reputation.